Chapter 9 - The Man at the Office
At seven the next morning, Caleb Rhodes arrived at the mansion.
Daniel met him at the front entrance.
Caleb looked confused when his security badge failed.
“What’s going on?”
Roberto stood in the foyer.
“We need to talk.”
Caleb’s expression changed when he saw Ethan.
“About what?”
“My email account.”
Caleb went pale.
That was enough.
Roberto led him into the library.
Daniel closed the door.
“Did Vanessa have access to my private email?”
Caleb rubbed his hands together.
“She sometimes needed scheduling information.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Caleb looked toward Ethan.
Ethan said nothing.
“Did Vanessa have my password?”
“Yes.”
Roberto’s voice remained calm.
“Who gave it to her?”
Caleb swallowed.
“I did.”
“Why?”
“She said you asked me to.”
“You didn’t confirm that with me?”
“She knew details about your accounts.”
“She knew your travel schedule.”
“She knew internal company information.”
“I assumed—”
“You assumed.”
Caleb stared at the floor.
Roberto leaned forward.
“Did you block María’s attempts to reach me?”
Caleb did not answer.
“Look at me.”
Caleb raised his eyes.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Vanessa said María was becoming emotionally attached to Sofía and causing problems.”
“So you prevented my daughter’s primary caregiver from speaking to me.”
“She said you knew.”
“Did you ever ask?”
“No.”
Roberto stood.
Caleb began panicking.
“I didn’t know she was hurting Sofía.”
Roberto’s expression became colder.
“You knew she was isolating the person trying to report something.”
“I thought it was household drama.”
“My daughter lives in that household.”
Caleb’s voice dropped.
“I’m sorry.”
Roberto looked toward Daniel.
“Collect every company device he has.”
Caleb’s head snapped up.
“You’re firing me?”
“You’re lucky employment is the first thing you’re losing today.”
Ethan stepped in before the conversation escalated.
“We’ll determine the legal issues after reviewing the records.”
Caleb removed his phone and access card.
Then he paused.
“There’s something else.”
Roberto stared.
Caleb looked terrified.
“Vanessa asked me about your estate.”
The room went silent.
“What about it?”
“She wanted to know what Sofía would inherit.”
Roberto’s face hardened.
“What did you tell her?”
“Nothing specific.”
“She asked whether marriage would change her position.”
Ethan looked at Roberto.
Roberto remembered Vanessa’s growing frustration over the previous year.
She had mentioned marriage more frequently.
She had joked about being “the only woman in Manhattan who had to audition for a ring.”
He had always delayed.
Not because he did not care for her.
Because something had never felt settled.
Now that hesitation felt like the only instinct he had trusted correctly.
Caleb continued.
“She also asked what would happen if Sofía lived permanently outside the household.”
Roberto’s hands curled into fists.
Ethan spoke before he could.
“That changes this.”
Roberto nodded.
May you like
“Yes.”
It changed everything.
